Water-power motor.



J. N. MOEHN.

WATER POWER MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEP-T.- 1s. I9l5- 1 1 97,754. I Patehted Sept. 12,1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. MOEHN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOMILWAUKEE WOVEN WIRE WORKS, OE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OFWISOON SIN.

WATER-POWER MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. MOEHN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State oflVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Water-PowerMotors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of motors which areadapted to be driven by water power and used for operating a clotheswasher, and such improvements pertain, more especially to theconstruction of the valve mechanism by which the course of power wateris controlled and alternately led to opposite sides of the power piston.

My invention is explained byreference to the accompanying drawing, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a plan view. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectiondrawn on line w, as of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail of the powercontrolling mechanism, also shown in vertical section. Fig. 4 is a planview of the ported valve block and valve detached.

Like parts are referred to by the same reference numerals throughout theseveral views.

1 represents the walls of the motor which are preferably cast integral,substantially as shown.

2 is the inlet duct.

3 is a piston, and 4 is the piston inclosing chamber.

5 is a valve supporting block provided with cavities 5' and 5", in itsupper and lower portion respectively. The cavity 5 is in constantcommunication with the inlet duct 2. The cavity 5" is in constantcommunication with the outlet duct 21. A slide valve 8 is mounted in theblock 5 and has tubular end portions 7, 7 respectively, each of which isprovided with a slot 6, 6 respectively in its upper wall, adapted forregistry with end portions of the cavity 5, but so spaced that when port6 is in registry with the cavity 5', the other port 6' will be out ofregistry therewith.

Assuming port 6 to be in registry with the cavity 5', as shown in Fig.4, water from the inlet duct 2 will be permitted to pass from the cavity5 through the port 6 and through the tubular open end 7 of the valvemember 8 into the piston inclosing chamber 4 on one side of the piston.But

if the valve is shifted so that the opposite port 6 is brought inregistry with cavity 5, the port 6 will be carried out of registry w1thsaid cavity, whereupon water will pass from the inlet duct 2 through thecavity 5 and through port 6 and the open end 7 of the valve member 8into the piston chamber 4 on the opposite side of the piston. If thewater is under pressure, it is therefore obvious that the'piston will becaused to oscillate first in one direction and then the other, as oftenas the valve is shifted, provided of course that the water previouslyadmitted is permitted to escape. This escape of water from the chamber 4is permitted by providing exhaust ports 30 and 30 in valve 8, lead ingrespectively to the inner ends of the tubular passages 7, 7 whereby whenport 6 is in registry with cavity 5, port 30 will be in registry withcavity 5", which cavity is in permanent communication with the exhaustduct 21. On the contrary, when the valve is shifted to the left in Figs.8 and 4 to bring port 6 into registry with the cavity '5, then port 30will be closed by the central portion of the valve supporting block 5and port 30 will be carried from said central portion into registry withthe left hand ild. portion of cavity 5", port 6 being simultaneouslycarried away from the valve block into registry with the chamber 4. Thewater may then pass from one side of the piston 3 through the tubularpassage 7 and port 30 into cavity 5, and thence to the exhaust duct 21simultaneously with the admission of Water 'to chamber 4 on the otherside of piston 3, through port 6 and tubular passage 7.

The solid central portion of the slide valve 8 is provided with anupwardly projecting stem 10 which passes through a slot 19 in the block5 and a corresponding slot in the partition wall 26, the sternprojecting into a cavity 24 formed between this wall 26 and the cap 23of the motor casing, and in which cavity the stem 10 is connected with atraveler 20 to each side wall of which, coiled springs 14 and 15 aresecured. When the piston 3 is moving in one direction under pressure ofthe water exerted against one side face thereof, its motion will betransmitted through shaft 9 to the actuating arm 12 connected with thatportion of the shaft which projects into cavity 24 and with thecontinued movement of piston 3, arm 12 will eventually be brought intocontact with the coiled spring 14, compressing said spring until thepressure becomes sullicient to overcome the friction of traveler 20 andvalve 8, whereupon the valve, as soon as it commences to move, will beshifted with a quick positive stroke by reaction of spring 14:. Thevalve will thus be shifted to a position where the water will beadmitted, as above explained, to the op- 1 posite side of the piston 3,whereupon piston 3 will move in the opposite direction until theactuating arm 13 carried by the shaft 9 in cavity 24:, is brought intocontact with coiled spring 15, compressing the latter until the frictionof the valve and associated parts is again overcome, whereupon the valvewill be again shifted and the flow of water reversed.

Owing to the fact that the actuating arms 12 and 13 are located abovethe partition 26 and owing to the fact that the traveler 20 is alsolocated above the partition, together with the springs 14 and 15, it isobvious that access may be had to these parts from the exterior withoutpermitting an escape of water. That is to say, it is not necessary toshut off the water in order to obtain access to the valve operatingmechanism, it being merely necessary to remove the cap 23 by removingthe screws 25 and an annular clamping plate 24", which overlaps themargin of cap 23. The cap 23 will preferably be made of glass ortranslucent material, whereby the operation of the valve actuatingmechanism may be observed.

Actuating arms 12 and 13 are rigidly connected with the shaft 9 by a hub11. The piston is connected with the shaft by a similar hub which bearsupon the valve block 5 in water tight relation thereto. The motor ispreferably provided with a plurality of legs 22, whereby the casing issupported above the floor or above the machine driven by shaft 9. Saidshaft 9 extends downwardly through the bottom plate 23, whereby it maybe connected with any driven machine. An ordinary stuffing box 2% isemployed to prevent leakage along the shaft. A similar stufling box isnot required to prevent leakage into cavity 24, for the reason that evenif this cavity should fill with water, cap 23 would prevent its escape.

Briefly reviewing the operation of the motor and assuming the valve 8 tobe in a position to deliver water from the inlet 2 in a direction. todrive piston 3 around to a point where arm 12 will contact with spring14, then the continued movement of the piston will compress said spring14 until the valve begins to move, whereupon the spring will, byre-action, throw the valve to reversed position, thereby allowing thewater previously admitted to pass to the outlet 21 c5 and directing theincoming water to the opposite side of piston 3 which will there uponmove in the opposite direction until arm 13 engages and compressesspring 15 to a point where it will actuate and reverse the valve. Piston3 will therefore oscillate continuously, back and forth in the chamberl, imparting an oscillatory movement to shaft 9 to which it is secured.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. In a device of the described class,the combination with a piston inclosing chamber provided with inlet andoutlet ducts, and having a slot in its upper wall, an oscillating pistonin said chamber, a piston supporting shaft projecting through said upperwall, a valve supporting block in said chamber located underneath saidslot and provided with a slide valve controlling the admission andexhaust of liquid from portions of the piston chamber on opposite sidesof the piston, and also adapted to prevent the escape of liquid throughsaid slot, a valve actuating member extending through said slot to thespace above said upper wall, .and connections for transmitting motionfrom the piston supporting shaft to said valve actuating member duringthe final movement of the piston in either direction.

2. In a device of the described class, the combination with a pistoninclosing chamber provided with inlet and outlet ducts, and having aslot in its upper wall, an oscillating piston in said chamber, a pistonsupporting shaft projecting through said upper wall, a valve supportingblock in said chamber located underneath said slot and provided with aslide valve controlling the admission and exhaust of liquid fromportions of the piston chamber on opposite sides of the piston, and alsoadapted to prevent the escape of liquid through said slot, a valveactuating member extending through said slot to the space above saidupper wall, and connections for transmitting motion from the pistonsupporting shaft to said valve actuating member during the finalmovement of the piston in either direction, said connections comprisinga pair of rigid arms connected with said shaft and projecting inopposite directions, and a pair of springs connected with said valveactuating member and projecting in the path of said arms, each of thesprings being adapted to receive pressure from one of said arms andtransmit the same to the valve actuating member and valve when suchpressure becomes sufficient to overcome the friction of the parts.

3. In a device of the described class, the combination of a pistoninclosing chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports, a piston thereinadapted to oscillate upon a central axis, a centrally disposed pistonsupporting shaft, a valve supporting member located at one side of saidpiston supporting shaft, a valve mounted to slide longitudinally in saidmember and provided at opposite ends with outlet ports, each end of saidvalve being adapted in one position to afford communication between theinlet and the piston chamber on one side of the piston and tosimultaneously open communication between the opposite side of saidpiston chamber with the exterior, said valve being adapted forlongitudinal shifting movements to connect the inlet and outlet portswith the opposite sides of said piston, and means connected with thepiston shaft eX terior to said chamber for shifting said valve.

In a device of the described class, the combination of a pistoninclosing chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports, a piston thereinadapted to oscillate upon a central axis, a centrally disposed pistonsupporting shaft, a valve supporting member located at one side of saidpiston supporting shaft, a valve mounted to slide longitudinally in saidmember and ported at opposite ends thereof,

each end of said valve being adapted in one position of adjustment toafford communication between the inlet and the piston chamber on oneside of the piston with simultaneous communication through the ports atthe other end of said valve from the other side of the piston to thechamber outlet port, said valve being adapted for longitudinal shiftingmovements to connect the inlet and outlet ports with the opposite sidesof said piston, and means connected with the piston for shifting saidvalve, said piston chamberhavingasuperposed cavity into which anoperating stem, connected with the valve, projects, valve actuatingwings connected with the piston shaft, and adapted to actuate said valvestem and valve alternately in opposite directions, and springsinterposed between the valve stem and said valve actuating wings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN N. MOEHN. Witnesses:

ALIoE J. MOKERIHAN, EDNA A. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.?

